On the third day of a major war game of the armed forces, the upgraded Mersad missile system successfully fired domestically developed air-to-ground Shalamcheh missiles and shot down invading mock enemy drones.
The units of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base on Saturday used data transmitted by the radar systems, electronic surveillance centers and lookouts deployed across the theatre of operation to detect, track and engage "flying targets" of mock enemy forces, ISNA reported.
The navy's 32nd fleet, comprised of the Bushehr support ship and the Jamaran destroyer, carried out a surveillance operation on the open seas and gathered intelligence about enemy movements. The combat and backup units of the army also transported heavy and light pieces of military hardware across the theatre of operation.
The armed forces on Thursday started the massive drill in an area covering 2.2 million square kilometers from the east of the Strait of Hormuz to the10th parallel north in the Indian Ocean and in parts of the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan and the southern province of Hormozgan.
The army, navy, air force, air defense base and some units of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) are taking part in the maneuvers which will continue until December 31.
The commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base told Tasnim news agency on Saturday that the newest model of the Sayyad 40 surveillance system will be tested and the Samen 2 radar system will be unveiled during the exercise.
Lieutenant General Farzad Esmaeili also said the Fath 2 radar system, which is able to engage in electronic warfare and detect very small flying objects, will be used in the drill.
On the upgraded Mersad missile system, he said the advantage of the system over its predecessors is that it is able to launch the "indigenous" Shalamcheh missiles.
